THE HAUNTED HOUSE PROJECT ~ 4/5

It begins with an end in mind as the introductory commentary tells us to expect all characters to be wiped out by the time the credits roll. The film continues by informing us that subsequent footages we are going to witness are all that is left after the horrific incident.

The haunted house in a Korean province is rumoured to have taken many lives. While doing location scouting, the production team, consisting of producer Lee Yeong-ju (Lee Hwa-jeong), cameraman Choi Gyu-seok (Hyeon Tae-ho) and sound recordist Jeong Ji-yeong (Shin So-yul), are warned by the villagers to stay away. But in a bid to produce a breakthrough film, the trio decides to proceed with their plans. Filming begins with three members of a ghost-hunting club. Im Wan-su (Shin Gyeong-seon), Weon Mi-jin (Yun Yi-na) and Choi Woo-ram (Jeon In-geol) give their last interviews before all of them left for the infamous haunted house.

Shot in a style similar to The Blair Witch Project, the exploration of the haunted house also resembles that of the recent local film Haunted Changi. If you found it enjoyable, it is highly likely that this will be your cup of tea. The cinematography is extreme. The camera angles are experimental and terribly shaky, to the extent that seasoned viewers might even feel a sense of motion sickness thereafter.

The use of sounds to illicit shocks is common in horror films and it is applied to great effect here. In addition, the employment of extended periods of non-dialogue creates an unnerving silence that also gives me the creeps.

The methods to kill off characters may not be new but the editing gives it an edge. The fear factor is thus elevated and may prove to be disturbing. A scene that remains anchored in me is during a killing that defies gravity. It happens in a blink of an eye so watch out for it!